Meghan'sMom
05-01-2004, 07:43 PM
Hi everyone, I thought I would share Meghan's story with you all. Meghan was born a day late. My pregnancy was pure torture for me, and I'm sure for her as well, I suffered severe edema, gestational diabetes, low amniotic fluid and so on. I knew something was up with all the non stress tests I had done as she would totally flip out when we did them, and they almost took her early as they thought her heart was racing too much (she was having a well known temper tantrum:)) I failed two inductions and Meghan was taken screaming at the top of her little lungs by c-section on 9/5/02 weighing 8lbs 3oz!! As soon as I was opened up, you seriously could hear her screaming from the inside out!! Anyway, she had alot of projectile vomiting in the hospital. I bottle fed and had done so much research on nipples and bottles before hand because I was afraid of a gassy baby, geesh, I was not prepared for a silent refluxer!! While in the hospital I had quite a few fights with nurses about over feeding my baby because she wanted to eat every 2 hours. She just threw everything right back up. She ate so much, she gained weight in the hospital.
I had nothing but a cranky crying baby when we got home, she was very very fussy in the hospital as well. Dr's told me there is nothing wrong with her, she's gaining just fine. Well, after she started avoiding the bottle at a mere 5 weeks old, I was concerned and switched pedi's as a matter of fact (I'm on my 4th as I type this). I got another bozo pedi who was going to let my daughter suffer. I knew she had reflux. We tried every formula, nipple, bottle out there she tolerated soy formula until she was about 3.5 months old, when she stopped eating completely. I could get maybe 12oz into her at that point, going from 32 oz a day, this is a major major problem. I demanded with her 2nd pedi that they send me to a GI doc, and they just took their time, so I took her to Boston Children's Hospital where we had refusal to eat. They would not give me any medication, except to give her maalox but I did get my appt bumped with the GI doc so I was relieved to be seen that week. What a catastrophe of an experience that was. THey put her on Nutramigen (which caused a diaper problem) and prilosec. She still cried cried cried, I changed her formula back to soy because she handled that much better and she still just cried and barely ate. They had me start solids at that point as well. We had a follow up appt with them in January and needless to say, I yupped them to death as I was not pleased at all. They have done nothing to help find out what is wrong with my baby.
In Feb of 03, Meghan was admitted to Children's Hospital for losing 2 1/2 pounds in 2 weeks and RSV. RSV had only started 2 days prior to her admission, the not eating was the result of this viscious drop. They treated the RSV and let me leave the hospital 2 days later without her drinking a bottle and topped her off via IV so that she would not dehydrate w/in 24 hours....
Within 3 hours of being home, I brought Meghan back to the local hospital where we stayed another 3 days. She was drinking enough to stay hydrated and we left with an appt with a new GI doc in just two short days. While at this hospital, something was telling me she was having a problem with soy and to get her back on milk based formula. I had put her on Similac until the GI doc appt and we went onto Carnation good start with cereal in it.
What a wonderful GI doc I have! After doing a barium swallow, reflux was confirmed (amen) and her medicine was changed to prevacid. I HAD A BRAND NEW BABY-I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!! We did the stomach emptying test and all was fine. From 5 months old to 8 months old, Meghan gained 5 pounds! They were extatic!
Meghan is a happy girl. I have tried weaning her off medicine 2 times to no avail-back on meds w/in 7 days. She is currently just about 20 months old and refuses milk so I supplement her with Enfamil Lacto Free as lactose is a big problem for her. She doesn't like it all that much, but that is ok. Since she was 12 months old, she has weighed 25 pounds, nothing more, and probably some less as she keeps going thru up and down hill swings. She is not a big eater at all. She had the GI scope done this past Monday and we go back for a follow up on Wednesday. I have a feeling she will be removed from formula and put on pedia sure or enfamil kindercal as this doc is big on the weight gain/loss. We will find out what our course of action is at that point.
Anyway, I did not mean to type a novel :roll: but it's been a total rollercoaster, that is for sure. I would love to post a picture of her, but I'm not quite sure how to yet or if the capability is available on this site.
I had nothing but a cranky crying baby when we got home, she was very very fussy in the hospital as well. Dr's told me there is nothing wrong with her, she's gaining just fine. Well, after she started avoiding the bottle at a mere 5 weeks old, I was concerned and switched pedi's as a matter of fact (I'm on my 4th as I type this). I got another bozo pedi who was going to let my daughter suffer. I knew she had reflux. We tried every formula, nipple, bottle out there she tolerated soy formula until she was about 3.5 months old, when she stopped eating completely. I could get maybe 12oz into her at that point, going from 32 oz a day, this is a major major problem. I demanded with her 2nd pedi that they send me to a GI doc, and they just took their time, so I took her to Boston Children's Hospital where we had refusal to eat. They would not give me any medication, except to give her maalox but I did get my appt bumped with the GI doc so I was relieved to be seen that week. What a catastrophe of an experience that was. THey put her on Nutramigen (which caused a diaper problem) and prilosec. She still cried cried cried, I changed her formula back to soy because she handled that much better and she still just cried and barely ate. They had me start solids at that point as well. We had a follow up appt with them in January and needless to say, I yupped them to death as I was not pleased at all. They have done nothing to help find out what is wrong with my baby.
In Feb of 03, Meghan was admitted to Children's Hospital for losing 2 1/2 pounds in 2 weeks and RSV. RSV had only started 2 days prior to her admission, the not eating was the result of this viscious drop. They treated the RSV and let me leave the hospital 2 days later without her drinking a bottle and topped her off via IV so that she would not dehydrate w/in 24 hours....
Within 3 hours of being home, I brought Meghan back to the local hospital where we stayed another 3 days. She was drinking enough to stay hydrated and we left with an appt with a new GI doc in just two short days. While at this hospital, something was telling me she was having a problem with soy and to get her back on milk based formula. I had put her on Similac until the GI doc appt and we went onto Carnation good start with cereal in it.
What a wonderful GI doc I have! After doing a barium swallow, reflux was confirmed (amen) and her medicine was changed to prevacid. I HAD A BRAND NEW BABY-I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!!! We did the stomach emptying test and all was fine. From 5 months old to 8 months old, Meghan gained 5 pounds! They were extatic!
Meghan is a happy girl. I have tried weaning her off medicine 2 times to no avail-back on meds w/in 7 days. She is currently just about 20 months old and refuses milk so I supplement her with Enfamil Lacto Free as lactose is a big problem for her. She doesn't like it all that much, but that is ok. Since she was 12 months old, she has weighed 25 pounds, nothing more, and probably some less as she keeps going thru up and down hill swings. She is not a big eater at all. She had the GI scope done this past Monday and we go back for a follow up on Wednesday. I have a feeling she will be removed from formula and put on pedia sure or enfamil kindercal as this doc is big on the weight gain/loss. We will find out what our course of action is at that point.
Anyway, I did not mean to type a novel :roll: but it's been a total rollercoaster, that is for sure. I would love to post a picture of her, but I'm not quite sure how to yet or if the capability is available on this site.